Days 48 and 49 - The Trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine and Sleep

I have been feeling a bit under the weather for the last week so I used my free day in Krakow for movie watching and sleep.  Yesterday I was actually productive and visited the salt mine just outside of Krakow.  Wieliczka (do not ask me to pronounce it) is one of the oldest producing salt mines in the world and has been rated the number one tourist attraction in Krakow.

On my way to the tour meeting spot I came across some sort of police display.  The officers were showing off their drug sniffing dogs by creating scenarios and making the dogs find various contraband.

 
I saw about 30 minutes of the show and cheered along with everyone else as the dogs found everything from cigarettes to cocaine.  I had to leave because of the tour so I made my way to the See Krakow office.   

After a forty-five minute bus ride we arrived at the salt mine.

I had no idea what to expect from the mine.  I soon found out that to get to the first level of the tour we had to descend thirty-seven stories worth of stairs.

Looking down through the center of the staircase we could not see the bottom

The walk ended and it was time to see what the mine had to offer.  The first chamber we toured had various figures carved into the salt.

 
Apparently miners carved all of the statues during their free time.  With a dangerous ladder to the surface (where the staircase is now) it was easier to simply stay in the mine and carve.  The air in the salt mine is actually better than the air on the surface, unlike a coal mine, so there was no detriment to remaining inside. 

The tour guide demonstrating ancient mining methods

The original methods of mining were primitive since the mine opened in the 13th century.  Four people would spend their days walking in circles to haul the salt upwards.  Horses were soon introduced in the mine to perform such tasks.  It was extremely dangerous to haul the horses to the surface so the horses would actually spend their entire lives without setting a hoof outside of the mine.

A salt statue

You may be wondering why the statues are not white if they are made of salt.  The answer is that the amount of natural and artificial light in the mine is not enough to make them appear translucent.  A statue like the one above would glow with a powerful spotlight behind it.

The song of the miners

The only time one sees white in the mine is if there is moisture.  In the picture above seeping water has caused salt crystals to form.

The miners were extremely religious and consequently carved chapels into the salt.  Wood was then placed over many of the carved areas and painted.  The entire chapel in the photo contains original wood and even the original coat of paint.  The salt preserves the wood and the timber. 

The Last Supper carved into a salt wall

When UNESCO created its World Heritage list the salt mine was added amonst the original twelve.  Below is a salt carving with gold leaf commemorating the inclusion.  The Krakow city center is also on the list. 

The tourist route of the mine reaches the depth of four-hundred feet and covers only one percent of the mine.  There are also underground lakes that contain more salt than the dead sea.  It is impossible to dive in the salty water and people have actually died underneath capsized boats.

Two more random facts: the mine was home to the first underground bungee jump and first underground hot air balloon flight.  This link has pictures of the balloon flight and bungee jump in the mine

I enjoyed my visit to the mine and it was nice to get away from WWII for the day.

Tomorrow I had planned on heading to Warsaw but the hostels are mostly full.  I still might go but could also change my mind at the train station.  I really have no idea where I will be going tomorrow but I am leaving Krakow.

Scott